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Nursing Knowledge
Otic medication refers to drugs specifically designed for application in the ears. These medications are commonly used to treat various ear conditions such as infections, inflammation, and excessive earwax. They most commonly come in the form of ear drops.
Supplies needed are the medication, a penlight, and facial tissue.
The technique the nurse should employ when instilling otic medication in an adult ear starts with verifying the medication with the seven rights of administration.
Then:
Aside from being patient with a young client, calming them and providing a positive environment, you need to remember the anatomical variation in adults vs children:
To straighten pinna, pull
The best way to reduce discomfort for your client when administering ear drops is to warm the medication to room temperature.
The goal should be to keep the medication in contact with the affected area inside the ear for as long as the directions specify, without the medication draining out too early which could reduce effectiveness.
Make sure your client keeps their head tilted for a few minutes after administration.
The main benefit of administering medications via ear drops is that it directly targets the medication to the affected area. Localized treatment improves effectiveness and reduces the risk of systemic side effects. It also provides quick symptom relief and reduces the likelihood of drug–drug interactions and is generally easy and relatively comfortable to use.
“Swimmer’s ear” is a colloquial term for acute otitis externa (infection or inflammation of the outer ear). It can be caused by trapped water in the ear, creating an environment that makes it easy for bacteria and fungi to develop.
Ear drops that target this condition usually contain antibiotics for bacterial infections, antifungals for fungal infections, along with steroids (for inflammation) and acidifying agents (discourage bacterial growth).
Generally, leaving ear drops in the ear is unlikely to cause problems. Potential concerns include:
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